Relationships
by PariahCam
Summary: The sequel to my Elements arc. Can be found in "Challenges". After a year of being back in Narnia, Edmund gets word that his old friends are going to be married. However, he and Lucy get more than they bargained for when they travel to Archenland.
1. Friends

**Author's Note: **I am so sorry about the delay in getting this to you. Chapter 23 in my story "Challenges" explains everything, and I hope this makes up for the lost time! This story takes place 1 year after my Elements set. Lucy is 15, Edmund is 17, Susan is 19, and Peter is 20. This fic will involve Lain, now age 20, Adem, age 18, Nath, age 20, and a surprise guest whose age does not matter.

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. I'm just borrowing it.

* * *

It began like any typical day at Cair Paravel would. Edmund woke a few minutes before dawn, as he had for the past seven years. He watched the sunrise for a good half hour on his balcony before Peter came to fetch him. The two went to the training grounds together and, as they had every morning, sparred with Oreius and their other weapons instructors for a couple of hours before heading back to the castle. They lazed over breakfast with their sisters, the girls still in their night clothes.

Everything was perfectly normal until they had almost finished their meal. As a couple of Nymph maids began to clean up the dishes, a Gecko crawled into the room and perched himself up in the center of the table. He looked at all four Kings and Queens before clearing his throat and standing up perfectly straight.

"I have a message I was told to deliver to King Edmund, and a second message for all of you," He said, gesturing slightly to them as he spoke. "King Edmund, I bring word from your Archenlander friends Nath, Lain, and Adem. They wish for you to know that Nath and Lain are planning to get married and they want you to attend their wedding."

Edmund's eyes brightened and he smiled. He knew that Nath and Lain had bonded a bit when they had been in the Cair a year ago and he had gone with her to live with her family since he had none of his own. Edmund had visited them several times since then, and though it was obvious that they were very close, he had never suspected anything romantic going on between the two. They were perfect for each other, however, and it pleased him to see that they had paired up.

"When is the wedding?" Edmund pressed.

"The ceremony will take place three weeks from today, but they ask that you arrive a week ahead of time so that you might be able to have some relative peace and quiet, and a chance to visit with them personally rather than be surrounded by friends and family."

"So in two weeks. I think that will be alright. What do you think, Peter?" Edmund looked over at his brother.

"I'm sure we could hold the fort down without you for a couple of weeks. If we need you, you're only a three days' ride away."

Edmund beamed. "Send a courier to let them know that I will be there."

The Gecko nodded and gave a small, pleased smile. "As for the second message, Princes Cor and Corin say that they have decided that it has been too long since you last saw each other and they insist that you come for a visit."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" Lucy said, smiling broadly and clasping her hands together.

"Did they say when, exactly?" Susan joined in on the conversation.

"They did not specify a particular date, but said that any day you wished to come would be wonderful, my lady."

"Thank you, sir, for letting us know. We will send word to the Princes later on, once we have come to a decision as to when we should go." Peter gave a small smile.

"Very well, Sire." The Gecko bowed gently and scurried out of the room, leaving the Kings and Queens alone once again.

"We can't all leave Cair Paravel at once." Susan spoke up first, twirling one of her curls around her finger in thought.

"We can't, you're right. Edmund, where did you say your friends lived?" Peter looked over at his brother.

"They live close to Stormness Head, a short ride from Anvard."

"Perhaps I could accompany Edmund to Stormness Head a few days early," Lucy pitched in. "We could make a detour to Anvard. Edmund and I could remain there for a little while, and when it's time for Edmund to meet his friends, he could leave and I could stay with King Lune and the princes? Then, when we return, you and Susan can have a go."

"That's a splendid idea," Susan smiled. "What do you think, Peter?"

"It makes sense to me. We would need to send a few extra guards-"

"Oh Peter, don't be silly," Lucy giggled. "However many you were going to send with Edmund will be perfectly suitable for the both of us. We're just crossing into Archenland. It's not as though we are parading into Tashbaan again."

"You forget, Lu. It was on the border of Archenland that Edmund was kidnapped."

"I have not forgotten," It was clear that Lucy had taken a bit of offense to the statement, though she wasn't mad. "You won't let any of us forget. You insist on scavenging the border at least once a month, and have any reports of a single Calormene being in the area ever come back to us?"

"Well, no…"

"Then stop your fussing, Peter. Edmund and I will be fine, and we won't go dressed like civilians without any weapons to protect us." Lucy nudged Edmund's ribs playfully.

"Now that's not fair. I had a knife." Edmund blushed lightly in embarrassment at remembering his foolish mistake.

"Alright, alright. Then we won't go dressed like civilians without any _decent _weapons to protect us. Is that better?" Lucy giggled.

Peter remained a bit on edge, but he knew he had no chance of convincing his siblings. "Very well, Lucy," He sighed. "You win this round. Will seven guards satisfy you?"

"Very much so, Peter." Lucy smiled and gave her brother a peck on the cheek. Seven still sounded like too many for her, but she knew which battles were worth losing.

* * *

The two weeks before the trip passed by incredibly slowly for Edmund and Lucy. Edmund couldn't wait to see his friends again. It had been more than three months since his last visit and three months were far too long by his standards. Lucy felt generally the same way. It had been nearly twice as long since any of them had had any face-to-face contact with the Archenland nobility. They were all very good friends, and being closest in age to the Princes, Lucy had a special bond with them. Edmund and Corin were, of course, inseparable when they were visiting each other, but Lucy could almost always be seen tagging along with them.

At last, however, the night before the trip fell upon them. Edmund and Lucy rushed about their rooms, packing everything they thought they might need or want. Both rooms looked as though a strong gale had swept through the windows and raided each and every nook and cranny for interesting items. Piles of random items, some sorted neatly, some not so much, littered the floors, forcing the owners to dance around like acrobats in order to get from one part of the room to another. Edmund's room, though he was travelling far lighter than his sister, was especially messy, with so many papers and books strewn about.

"Anything I can help you with?" The sudden voice broke Edmund out of his adrenaline-fueled reverie, making him stumble and narrowly avoid falling on top of a rather rickety-looking stack of books. The younger boy looked up sharply, expecting to see one of the servants he had specifically told to keep clear. Rather than a Faun, however, it was Peter's figure standing in the doorway with a look of slight amusement.

"No thank you, I'm nearly finished." Edmund rolled his eyes.

Peter looked around the haphazard room with a look of disbelief. "How can you tell what you're supposed to pack and what you're supposed to leave behind?"

"Well it's simple!" The Just King exclaimed, navigating around a chair to get to his brother. "The stack by the window stays, the one near the dresser goes, the pile next to the bed stays…or…or maybe it goes…some of the pile on the bed stays here…"

"Some?" Peter smirked.

"Okay, so it's a little unorthodox, but it makes sense in my head!" Edmund huffed good-naturedly.

"Whatever works for you little brother." The blond laughed and gave a good tousle to Edmund's hair.

With a roll of his eyes, the younger King went back to stuffing various items into saddle bags. Peter watched as his brother carefully placed two quills and several bottles of ink into a specially designed bag. Out of all of his possessions, Peter knew his brother cherished his writing set more than most others. He took excellent care of the Gryphon feathers and refused to leave Narnia without them whenever a long journey came calling.

"Are you going to write to us?" Though Peter had meant it to be a joke, a slight tone of sentimentality had worn its way into the words.

"As often as I can spare a courier. And you, my good sir, had better write back."

"As often as I can spare a courier." Peter mimicked.

"Don't taunt me." Edmund smirked and stuck his tongue out at his brother.

"Come now, give me some credit. I do your voice rather well, don't I?"

"Certainly not. You sound more like Lucy than me when you throw your voice like that."

"Are you insulting yourself?"

"Oh shut up Peter."

The pair of boys laughed lightly for a moment even though they both knew there was nothing truly funny about the situation. It seemed to Edmund like it was a vain attempt to keep something at bay, something negative and poisonous.

"Why did you come in here?" Edmund's voice was somber.

"To see if you needed any help." Peter's was too.

"I told you twice today that I would be able to manage on my own, not that there's much left to manage. That wasn't why you came."

Peter sighed. "Susan's worried."

"When is Susan not worried?"

"But it's different this time, somehow."

"She always gets this little feeling whenever any of us leave for very long, we all know that. And we all know very well that she is rarely right, and when she is, it's probably just because of chance rather than a feeling. Something has to go wrong _sometime_, after all."

"She's upset. I've never seen her get upset over it before."

"Upset how?" Peter didn't answer for several long seconds. "Peter? Upset how?"

"She cried." The two made eye contact.

"Cried? Because of a silly little feeling?"

"That's exactly what I said."

"Lucy and I will have guards. We'll be in Archenland. We'll be perfectly safe."

"That's what I said. She simply told me that it wasn't Lucy she was worried about."

Edmund sighed and hung his head. "She needs to learn that I can take care of myself. I've survived a lot. We all have. There is absolutely no reason for her to worry. Did she tell you any way that we could put her mind at ease?"

"Yes. Don't go."

Edmund tensed and shot a glare at his brother. "What?"

"I'm not saying you can't go," Peter immediately defended himself, his tone apologetic for the misunderstanding. "She just told me that she doesn't want you to go. I told her how important this trip was to you and after a bit of coaxing she gave up, but she insisted that it was the only thing that would make her feel better."

"Does Lucy know about this?"

"Susan's talking to her right now, I'm sure."

Edmund nodded. "I'll talk to Susan tonight, then, but I'm still going."

"I understand. Just be safe baby brother." Peter once again ruffled up Edmund's hair, tossed him a smile, and left the room.

A few hours passed without a sound outside the door. Just as Edmund was finishing packing and cleaning up the mess he made, he heard his door creak open. He turned and wasn't at all surprised to see his elder sister standing in the doorway, just as Peter had earlier. Edmund smiled at her and she gave a weak smile back before taking a few steps into the room and closing the door behind her.

"I'm sure Peter's talked to you already." She whispered. Even in the candle light, Edmund could see she was more pale than usual.

"Yeah, he did. Look, Susan…I know you're upset, but-"

"Please don't go," Edmund hung his head in shame as tears sprung into her eyes. "Please. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

"Susan," Edmund walked over to her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Susan, listen to me. Alright? Just hold still, keep quiet, and listen to every word I'm about to say."

"Okay…"

"I am going to be safe. I promise you I will. We are just going across the border. I will have my men with me at all times. If you want, and if it will make you feel better, I'll keep my sword drawn the entire time as well, and I'll even tell someone to watch me and make sure I don't put it back if that will help. I will be alright, and if you don't believe me, then trust in Aslan. He wouldn't let anything happen to me without His consent."

"But we don't know what He wants. What if He's decided it's your time to go?"

"Then I will accept that fate. But Susan-"

"Well I won't accept it!" The Queen ripped herself out of Edmund's hold, crying once again. "Maybe you're ready to die, but we're not ready to lose you! I'm not ready to lose you! I won't lose you. I refuse to allow it! You're not going and that's final!"

"Susan!" The young woman stiffened in shock at how loud Edmund's voice had gotten. "Susan Grace Pevensie, you listen to me. Nothing, I repeat, _nothing_, is going to happen. The only thing you're doing right now is pushing yourself toward hysterics, and that won't help anything. You know very well that we cannot control what Aslan wants. If He wants me to die, He will find a way for it to happen. Even if I stay here, there are a thousand ways I could be killed. Even if you kept me locked up in my own room, if it was truly His plan for my life to end, it would. You need to get a hold of yourself and understand that things happen that we cannot control.

"I am not ready to die, but I am ready to do as I have been instructed, and right now my instructions are to go to Archenland." Edmund took a deep, shaking breath and closed his eyes. He waited a few minutes before opening them again and once more enveloping his sister in a hug. His voice was much softer the next time he spoke. "I love you, my sister, and I know you love me. But you need to learn to let me go. I know you mean well. I know you're concerned about me just as I'm always concerned about you. But you have to understand that what happens is beyond us. It doesn't matter what we want, what we feel.

"I'm sure I will return to you, and when I do, I will let you do whatever you want with me as payment for letting me go. But if I don't return," Here, Susan let out a muffled gasp and shuddered. "If I don't return, I need you to stay strong. Do you understand? You need to stay strong. You need to keep your faith in Aslan. You need to keep your faith in our family. And most of all, you need to keep your faith in yourself. Peter and Lucy need you just as much as all of you need me, and I need all of you. You have to promise me that if the worst should happen, you won't abandon them, and nor will you abandon and blame yourself. Promise me."

Susan sniffled. A few seconds passed before she gave Edmund a hesitant, slow nod. He smiled sadly and kissed the top of her head, stroking her back comfortingly all the while. Unable to hold it back any longer, Susan sagged in her brother's arms and began to sob. He held her close as her body shook, letting a few tears of his own stray into her dark hair. He was going to miss her dearly, and he hated seeing her so upset, but he knew it was for the best.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, I got in some Susan in there. I've never been very good with or fond of her, so I hope I did alright. Reviews are welcome and greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoyed it, and expect more soon!


	2. Enemies

**Author's Note: **My apologies for not getting this to you as soon as I had hoped. I had a bit of trouble figuring out a few key points. I hope you enjoy what I've written, though, and a huge thanks to Ro9ge for beta-ing!

**Disclaimer: **I own the Animals. Nothing more, and maybe less.

* * *

**22. Enemies**

The morning of the departure ran much smoother than the night prior. Few tears were shed, and most that were belonged to Lucy rather than Susan, to everyone's surprise. The four siblings took their time in saying goodbye, making sure that they gave each sibling several hugs, kisses, well wishes, and warnings. Before long, however, it was time for the youngest pair to leave. Edmund and Lucy, each on their favorite mount, hesitantly turned their backs on their siblings and, with one final wave goodbye, strode away from Cair Paravel.

Lucy, though still disapproving of so many guards, was pleased with whom Peter had chosen to ride with them. Riding ahead of the monarchs was a large Siberian Tiger named Nyle. He was strong and sturdy and very agreeable most of the time. To his right and slightly behind him was a lanky, though nonetheless swift and skilled, Coyote named Cynric. Edmund and Lucy rode side by side, Lucy on Edmund's left. To Edmund's right strode the Centaur Lind, one of his and Peter's weapons instructors, and to Lucy's left was Neci, Lind's mate. Behind the pack in a straight line, from left to right, was Torith the Stag, Pell the Faun, and Edlyn the Cheetah. All of the members of the guard had proved themselves many times over to be loyal to the monarchs and all were rather fun to be around.

"Hey Lucy." Edmund spoke first after nearly a half hour of silence.

"Yes Edmund?" The Queen turned to look at her brother.

"Did Susan talk to you?" Lucy lowered her head and nodded. "What did she say?"

"She didn't want you to go."

"I know. Did she say why though?"

Lucy frowned in confusion. "Does she need to?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you not remember what happened the last time you were out alone?"

"Of course I do." Edmund remembered very well how he had been missing for almost 200 days, abused, and nearly killed a year prior.

"Do you have any idea how much that affected us? How much it affected her?" Taking Edmund's confused, guilty stare as a "no", Lucy sighed and continued. "We thought you were dead, Peter nearly died, I was a wreck, and Susan had to take care of us all. Her only little brother was missing, quite possibly gone forever, and she had to hold us all together. It was hard on her. Much harder than I care to imagine.

"She didn't let on much that she was upset. She worked a lot, though. I never saw her stop moving. Even when she was alone in her room I could hear her pacing. She was so fidgety and stressed. And then you came back," Lucy gave her brother a soft smile that quickly faded. "You came back, but you weren't you. Peter refused to leave your side, even when you were asleep. It was up to Susan to get him to take care of himself. She hardly saw you at all those first few weeks you were back. Instead, she had to take care of the both of you in the background. To her, with how little exposure she had to you and how you acted when she was around you, you might as well have still been dead and gone.

"Do you have any idea how much that upset and hurt her? Ever since then, she told me once, just the idea of having you go somewhere without all four of us scares her. She has nightmares quite frequently where you and Peter or you and I or all three of us go somewhere and never come back just because she hadn't come along." As Lucy talked, Edmund shrank down in the saddle lower and lower until he was a tight ball of guilt and shame.

"I'm so sorry," He whispered. "So that's why she was crying. Not because she was scared something was going to happen, but because she was scared something was going to happen without her around to protect me."

"Precisely."

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I had no idea…"

"It's okay. It wasn't your job to worry about us. You were so different and…" Lucy struggled to think of the right word.

"Afraid." Edmund gulped, refusing to look at his sister.

"And afraid," Lucy repeated softly. "You weren't in the right state of mind to worry about us or think of anything other than that fear. But you're better now, and Susan needs to realize that you will always come back. She doesn't need to protect you every second of every day anymore. You'll be just fine on your own."

Edmund looked up at Lucy just in time to see the encouraging smile she gave him. "Thanks, Lu. Now all we need to do is convince her of that."

"I'm sure Peter will do a good enough job while we're gone." Lucy giggled lightly.

"I think you're right. Hey Lucy…"

"Hm?" The redhead turned to look at Edmund once again, who was smirking in a terrifyingly suspicious way at her.

She looked at him quizzically as he leaned over on Phillip, straining to reach her shoulder with his fingertips. Confused but wanting to help with whatever he was doing, Lucy steered her mare closer to her brother, who, as soon as he was able, brushed her shoulder and took off at a gallop. She barely caught the "Tag, you're it!" that was caught by the breeze.

"No fair!" Lucy laughed and urged her horse onward.

The bay mare, only three years old and of rather high breeding, took off at a splendid speed. Edmund had seemed to be reigning Phillip in a bit, and within a few minutes, Lucy had caught up. She brought her horse up alongside Phillip and, with a very nervous hesitation, reached out and grabbed Edmund's shirt sleeve. Almost as soon as she had touched him she released his arm, making sure he didn't lose his balance. He laughed and she returned the sound before guiding her mare left and away from Edmund who was now It.

The pair continued the game for over an hour, managing to get Lind, Neci, and Torith involved. Once everyone could take no more, the group slowed to a leisurely walk and continued along their path to Archenland.

"Well," Nyle mused, watching his steps carefully. "That game of yours probably cut two hours off of the day's trip, if I'm calculating it correctly."

Lucy gave Edmund a Look and he smirked. Nyle seemed to have every inch of Narnia memorized and very rarely miscalculated distances. If he said they had shaved off a couple of hours, then they had.

The rest of the two-day-long trip ran fairly smoothly with few interruptions, and by nightfall of the second day the cluster of soldiers and monarchs could see the castle Anvard on the horizon. Lucy and Edmund exchanged smirks, and without a word, the two cantered toward their goal, the small pack of soldiers following quickly behind.

The monarchs spent the next three days together at Anvard. As always, Edmund and Corin were inseparable, much to the dismay of the castle's staff and residents. Both boys, being incurable pranksters at heart, wreaked havoc on whatever they could, making sure not to cause too much damage but having as much fun as possible. Most people took the pranks good-naturedly and even pitched in with the planning and execution every now and again. Lucy and Cor simply watched on in amusement as their brothers conquered the grand building. Though Lucy said nothing, she was overjoyed at seeing her brother behave with such poor manners. He was polite, stoic, kind, generous, and downright impeccable when he needed to be, of course, just as he was while in court in Narnia. But when he was fooling around and causing absolute mayhem was when Lucy was pleased with him the most. She hadn't seen him behave in such a way since he had been taken by the Calormene slave trade. She had missed the fun part of him, the playful part, the part that never wanted to grow up. To see it return with such strength was more of a comfort than any words or other behavior could be.

Alas, the time for Edmund's departure came all too quickly for the quartet. Just as they had been in Narnia, hugs and kisses were spread far and wide, and though his leaving was a sad one, Edmund couldn't help but smile at least a little bit. He was going to see his friends whom he had missed greatly and had been through so much with.

Edmund and his troupe set off less than a quarter of an hour after beginning the farewells. They walked in general silence for nearly two hours, and as the excitement of seeing his friends wore off, though Edmund knew he should be focusing on the path ahead, he couldn't concentrate. He was completely unaware of his surroundings, lulled into a sense of security by the tranquil atmosphere. He observed his guards with glazed eyes, numbly thinking in the dark recesses of his brain about what they could be contemplating. Were they thinking of home, of the families they had left behind? Were they thinking about their destination and what lie ahead? Were they thinking of the woods and mountains that surrounded them? Were they on high alert, keeping every sense sharpened for the slightest sign of an attacker? Or were they like him, lost in oblivion, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time?

Though Edmund and his soldiers were far less acquainted with their Archenland surroundings than they were with Narnian soil, Edmund was fairly certain that the ride to Stormness Head from Anvard was fairly short, four or five hours, give or take. The path was treacherous, however, with the constant threat of unstable cliffs and eroding rock formations looming over travelers. Trained instinct and habit allowed Edmund to avoid the dangers easily enough without dedicating his entire attention to the path ahead, but for those who weren't battle hardened and aware as he was, the path through the mountains was a deadly one.

As the pack traveled along, the sound of crumbling rocks snapped Edmund out of his reverie every now and again. The more it happened, the more he grew used to it until he no longer paid the minor rock slides any heed. The same had seemed to go for every member of his party. No longer did anyone start in surprise, or even look up at the new hole in the hillside. Now everyone paid more heed to the sounds of twigs breaking or rocks falling from above.

"It's awfully quiet," Phillip's voice beneath him made Edmund start. "I'm sorry Sire, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's my own fault, Phillip, not to worry. It is quiet, isn't it? I've always liked this ride."

"As have I. Any idea how much further we have to go?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it's just three or four-" Edmund's voice cut off with a soft gasp.

"Sire? Edmund, are you alright?"

"Phillip…" His voice, raspy and thick, barely made it to Phillip's ears. The Horse turned his head just in time to see his King slip from his back and tumble to the ground. For a moment, Phillip could see no reason why his friend had collapsed. Then, with horrifying realization, he saw the arrow shaft sticking out of Edmund's back.

"EDMUND!"

All at once the world was mayhem. The Just King's guard turned and immediately surrounded the fallen. Phillip heard them shout random words of nonsense and return fire on a villain he dare not look at. He lay down next to his boy who was still conscious, but barely. Edmund's eyes had begun to glaze over and his breath came in short, quick, raspy gasps.

"King Edmund, can you hear me?" Phillip nuzzled the boy's cheek gently. "You'll be alright. They'll help you in just a moment. Hang on for just a little longer."

* * *

Nyle, being the highest ranking member of Edmund's guard, took it upon himself to follow behind the pack. His ears swiveled constantly for any sign of thieves following them. He knew quite well with having the instincts of a tiger and the mind of a Tiger that the most common, most dangerous attacks came from behind. Not that there was much behind that was very threatening. To the right of the small pathway that had been worn into the hillside was a drop-off, slanted enough that it didn't necessarily mean certain death but steep enough that it would be impossible to scale. To their left, the mountain went upward, but it was fairly smooth going for the most part with only a cluster of small outcroppings every hundred feet or so. Most of the ledges were too small to stand on, much less hide behind, and those that were useful were easy enough to keep an eye on. Every now and again a small fissure in the side of the mountain would show itself, but like most of the projections, they were too small to house any possible threats.

The Tiger looked up as he heard his King and the Horse begin to speak. Though they made it harder to hear any sneak attacks, the Siberian Tiger didn't mind much. He could still hear their surroundings well enough and he couldn't expect everyone to be completely silent through the entirety of the trip.

A small sound from behind them made Nyle turn around. It had been light, no louder than a pebble rolling down the hill. It was loud enough, though, that it caused Nyle to worry. There were no animals or Animals nearby as far as he could detect, and yet the slight scent of flesh made his fur stand on end. With a quick glance, he knew that the Coyote had smelled it too.

Nyle opened his mouth to alert his charge of the possible danger, but before he could, the sound and sight of an arrow flew over his head and straight into his King's back. He reacted immediately, turning around sharply and backing up toward his monarch. The others did the same until they formed a tight circle around Edmund.

"Lind, Neci, knock your arrows! Upper right corner, behind the outcrop," Nyle's voice echoed on the mountains. "Pell, your sword. The rest of you, with me!"

The Tiger, flanked closely by the Stag, Cheetah, and Coyote, raced for the outcropping. He scaled the rocks with only slight difficulty, nearly smiling when he spotted the attackers. It was just as he had assumed. A small band of thieves dressed in grays and tans and smelling of dirt and must scrambled in every direction. Three of them drew bows and struggled to knock arrows while four others simply ran for their lives. Cowards, the lot of them.

Nyle quickly fell upon the closest coward, pouncing on and pinning him to the ground. He dug his claws into the man's shoulder, forcing a scream out of the pathetic body. He took no pleasure in causing pain, but he knew it was necessary in order to keep the foul beast in line. He raised his head for a moment, just long enough to take in the rest of the battle.

One of the archers had been shot through the chest, seemingly dead though it was hard to tell at such a distance. The other two sported a few nicks and cuts, but neither had abandoned their weapons. They seemed determined to kill the party that clearly outnumbered them, and if Nyle wasn't mistaken, they were enjoying it. Cynric and Torith had cornered one of those who had been too scared to fight, and he was now too scared to stand. Seemingly whimpering, the man slid to the ground and looked as though he were pleading for mercy. Pell was engaged in hand-to-hand combat with another one of the runners, apparently choosing chivalry and fun over a quick win. He seemed to be rather enjoying himself as he easily overtook the much weaker Human. Lind and Neci were standing a dozen feet off or so, firing ruthlessly at the archers who just wouldn't give in. Edlyn was nowhere in sight.

"P-Please…please don't hurt me…" The creature beneath Nyle's paws writhed.

"You attack my company and injure my King, yet you have the audacity to beg for mercy?" Nyle scoffed, disgusted. "Learn self respect and a sense of duty, my good sir. It will get you far in life."

"Nyle!" The Tiger looked up sharply when he heard Edlyn call for him.

"Edlyn, did you succeed?" He frowned a bit when he saw no sign of the Human she had hunted.

"Yes, sir," She nodded, looking a bit hesitant. "Well, technically, sir. He tried to flee, but I caught up easily. Seeing he had no chance, he…well…"

"Out with it, Cheetah. We do not have time for delays."

"He jumped over the edge." She looked him dead in the eye as she spoke.

"Did he survive?" Nyle dug his claws a bit deeper into his prey's shoulder without quite realizing it.

"No, sir. His neck broke. I could see a bit of the spine sticking out of the skin. Would you like me to double check, sir?" There was no sarcasm in her voice. She knew as well as he how important it was that no one escaped.

"If you feel the need. If you are sure he did not survive, then go to Phillip and do what you can for King Edmund."

The Cheetah nodded and raced over to the pair of silhouettes. He watched as she sank down next to them and pressed her nose gently to the King's back. The sound of scuffled footsteps drawing close wrenched Nyle's attention back to the battle. He nearly smiled in amusement as he watched Pell drag a bumbling carcass of a Human over to the Tiger and unceremoniously throw him at his feet.

"This one surrenders, sir." The Faun said decisively.

"You did well, Pell. Thank you. There should be rope in one of Lind's bags. Find it and bind him, if you will please."

"Yes sir." With a small nod to his superior, the Faun helped the Human up and led him to the bags, finding the material and quickly doing as he was instructed.

One by one, each and every living thief was captured and tied. Though it seemed like ages had passed since King Edmund had been hit, Nyle knew that it had only been a few minutes. A few very precious minutes that could decide his ruler's fate.


	3. Teammates

**Author's Note: **I apologize sincerely for the problems with the previous chapter, and the delay in posting this one. Hopefully all issues will be cleared up this time around and I will be posting the next chapter in the next few minutes, so you get two as payment for your patience.

**Disclaimer: **I own the OC's, not the cannon characters or Narnia herself.

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**26. Teammates**

For several far-too-long minutes, Phillip sat with his King and whispered words of comfort. Not once did Edmund acknowledge that he heard Phillip. Instead, he seemed to only be aware of the great pain coursing through his back and shoulder. Nyle eventually walked over to the pair, his paws slightly fringed with blood. He carefully tilted their King's head back slightly, helping him breathe a bit. Phillip watched Nyle's grave face in hopes that he would find some sort of positive news. He was sorely disappointed.

"We need to remove the arrow. Pell, come here." The Faun skittered over and kneeled next to the Tiger.

"Yes sir," The Faun skittered over to his commanding officer, knowing full well what was expected of him. He was the only one who had enough medical experience to be considered the group's Healer, and he was the only one who was able to comfortably, securely, and properly assist their King. "I need a cloth, preferably a large one."

"Lind, your tunic."

"Yes sir." The Centaur stripped his armor and brown undershirt, quickly handing the latter to the Faun.

"This isn't going to be very pleasant," Pell warned. "I'm going to need as much fabric as I can get. This will bleed quite a bit, and if I don't stem the flow, he could die within a matter of minutes."

Everyone looked down to Edmund, whose tunic was already soaked with blood. "Search the King's bags," Nyle ordered. "Use anything you can find. We can replace everything later."

Phillip kept his eyes on Edmund as a couple of guards began to tear through their supplies. Edmund's skin was a sickly chalk color and rather clammy to the touch. He was trembling slightly and breathing sporadically at best. His breath came in quick, short, choppy gasps that were painful to hear. Phillip couldn't imagine how much it must have hurt to be the one doing the breathing.

"We need to send for Lucy," Pell spoke up again once the din had settled and he had a small pile of clothes before him. "Who here is the fastest?"

"Torith, would you go back to Anvard?" Nyle looked up at the Stag.

"I will, sir, as quickly as I can." He responded dutifully. With a bow, the Stag turned and raced in the direction they had come.

"Sir, why did you not send Edlyn?" Cynric asked. "Aren't Cheetahs known for their speed?"

"Yes," It was Edlyn herself who answered. "But we can only run so fast for so long. Torith's endurance far surpasses my own."

"Enough talking. Pell, what do you need us to do?" Nyle stared harshly at the Faun.

"Give me some room," Pell answered simply. "And do not rush him. Phillip?"

"Yes, Pell?" The Horse looked up quickly.

"I will need you to keep him calm. I can hold him steady well enough, but King Edmund cannot afford to go into shock. I'll need you to keep him alert and distracted. Can you do that?"

"Of course." Phillip almost pinned his ears at Pell's tone. The Faun greatly underestimated their King and his Horse.

With one deep, steady breath, Pell gripped the arrow and yanked. Edmund jerked and screamed as blood poured from his back. The Faun desperately tried to stem the flow as Phillip spoke softly to his King.

"It's over, Sire. You'll be alright. Just hang on."

"Ph…Phillip…" Edmund's voice was weak and hoarse, and the words gurgled in his throat.

Edmund coughed and blood speckled the ground in front of him. He shook terribly, his tremors bad enough to hinder Pell's progress in tying the wound. The soldier yelled at Phillip to do better, but Phillip ignored him. He focused solely on his King who was steadily getting whiter and whiter, and whose eyes were slowly beginning to glaze over.

"Focus on me, Edmund. I know it hurts. You just need to focus for a bit longer. It will be alright. I promise. Pell will fix you up, you just need to be patient."

Edmund said nothing, but Phillip knew he was listening. He blinked furiously, struggling to keep the tears back. The Horse continued to whisper words of nonsense as Pell tied a bandage around Edmund's chest to keep the pressure on the covered wound when everyone let go.

"That should keep him from bleeding out too quickly, but if he doesn't get help soon, there's not much I can do." Pell's voice was grave and weary.

"What do you mean? He's not going to die, is he?" It was Neci, the Centaur, who spoke up this time.

"The arrow pierced his lung. Even if I could sew the wound shut and keep him from bleeding to death, he'll inevitably drown within a few hours." The Faun wiped his brow and stood, turning to look at the horizon for any sign of Lucy or Torith.

"Will they make it back in time?" Edlyn whispered.

"I don't know."

Edmund coughed, breaking the sudden onset of terrified silence. More blood stained his teeth and painted the ground, forcing a quiet gasp out of the Cheetah and a gentle nuzzle from Phillip. The young King seemed to be only half conscious and completely unaware of his predicament. His eyes were half open and a hand was clinging to his Horse's mane weakly, stroking the Stallion's neck every once in awhile with a single finger.

"He'll hold out." Phillip said resolutely.

"How can you know? We have no idea how bad the trauma is, or how long it will take the Queen to get here." Pell nearly growled with frustration at the Horse.

"He'll hold out," Phillip repeated simply. Another bloody cough from the Human seemed to challenge that statement, with more blood than the previous coughs combined spilling out. "He must hold out."


	4. Family

**Author's Note: **Terribly sorry about the shortness of that last chapter. There was only so much I could write before I had to cut off in order to write this one. But to make up for it, I'm posting these two chapters at the same time. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Nothing has changed, I promise.

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**24. Family**

The minutes ticked by slowly, the silence broken only by Edmund's worsening coughing fits. His breath was coming in short, wet gasps, with his chest rising and falling feebly in an attempt to replace the fluid in his lungs with much needed oxygen. Phillip spoke to him in the softest of whispers, knowing that his King was probably hearing very little if any of it. Most of the guards remained by Edmund's side, watching their surroundings closely for signs of another attack. Nyle and Cynric had left to guard their catch of Humans, most of whom were watching the scene unfold before them with general indifference. One man seemed almost sorry for what he had done, and another, the oldest of the group, looked quite elated with himself.

Nyle kept the majority of his attention on this smirking being. He wondered what was going through the man's head to make him behave in such a way. Surely he knew that he would face the death penalty. Surely he knew that a young, innocent boy was suffering a slow and painful death, the worst kind of death, because of him and his men (for there was no doubt in Nyle's mind that this man was the leader of the pack). Surely he knew that there was a Siberian Tiger just waiting for the slightest hint of a reason to pounce on and kill him. But all of this left him utterly unfazed, and that almost frightened the Tiger.

"Nyle! Sir!" Lind called out suddenly, nearly three hours after Edmund had been hit.

"What is it?" The Siberian Tiger's attention never strayed from the pack of Humans.

"Torith! I think it's Torith! There, on the horizon."

At this, Nyle turned his head and looked in the direction of Anvard. Sure enough, the silhouette of a Stag, accompanied by a horse and rider, was racing for the group as fast as its slender legs could take it.

"Edlyn, go and meet them. The rest of you, don't leave your posts."

Once the Cheetah had taken off toward the new arrivals, Nyle focused back on the bound men. None had budged, though the once-smirking man was now scowling. The Siberian Tiger moved closer to him, blocking his view of Edmund. The Human, clearly a Calormene judging by his coloring, narrowed his eyes at the Tiger. There was something very familiar about the creature, though Nyle couldn't quite figure out what it was. Before he could think long enough to place the Human in his memory, a flurry of hooves and paws skidded to a stop next to him.

"Oh, Edmund!" Lucy's terrified voice was unmistakable.

For the first time in hours, Nyle looked over at his King. The boy was too pale to be possible, his skin a sickly gray color. He was shuddering with every breath and coughing nearly constantly. His lips and nails were blue with a lack of blood, and it was obvious, even to the untrained eye, that he had only minutes to live.

Lucy rushed to his side, ignoring the dirt on her dress and the hole she tore in the knee when she fell next to her brother. Her hands shook nearly as terribly as Edmund's as she pulled the stopper out of the cordial. Tilting his head back a bit, she allowed a single drop to fall into his mouth. He swallowed ever so weakly, and after a few long seconds, his shuddering began to slow. His coughing weakened steadily until it vanished completely. His skin remained that horrible gray color, but when he opened his eyes, they were no longer glazed over with pain and death, but now happy and grateful tears.

"Peter," Edmund's voice was still painfully weak. "Is going to kill me."

Lucy giggled thickly, clearly keeping her own tears at bay. "Forget about Peter. What about Susan?"

"Oh Aslan, I'm doomed." Edmund laughed as well, and Nyle watched as everyone sagged with relief at the lack of blood that accompanied it.

"That's one way to put it. She's never going to let you out of your room again after this."

"We needn't tell her just yet, right?"

"Well…"

"Lucy, you didn't," Edmund sat up, though it required a fair amount of help from Phillip. "Tell me you didn't."

"What was I supposed to do?" His sister finally began to cry. "What did you expect me to do? I was sitting in the garden, having a lovely cup of tea with King Lune, when a young boy suddenly runs up to us, white as marble. He tells me a messenger has just arrived, a Stag, announcing that my brother was just attacked and is in dire need of my cordial. King Lune wastes no time in fetching me his fastest horse, and poor Torith looked ready to drop dead with exhaustion. He looked desperate, said that my brother's wound was grave and he may only have a few hours left.

"What was I supposed to do with something like that hanging over my head? I didn't think, Edmund. I just reacted. I told King Lune to send word to my family. It was the only thing I said to him before I left. It made sense at the time."

"Oh Lucy, I'm so sorry." Edmund held his sister close as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"It's not your fault, but darn it Edmund, if you ever do it again you won't need to worry about Peter or Susan. I'll kill you myself."

Edmund smiled weakly. "Of course. I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"Sire," Edmund and Lucy looked up sharply at the sudden voice. Nyle, still standing by the attackers, was watching them gravely. Everyone was watching them, now that Edmund thought about it, though most looked overjoyed at seeing their King restored. "Are you feeling up to interrogating these beasts, or would you prefer we do it without you?" The Siberian Tiger was not angry or impatient. He simply wanted to get the task over and done with so the men could face their proper punishment.

"I'll need some help standing," Phillip stood up immediately and placed himself next to his boy. Edmund smirked. "But I will help you."

The Horse lowered his head and Edmund grabbed onto his mane tightly. Lucy steadied her brother as Phillip helped him stand. The moment all of Edmund's weight was on his legs, they gave out. With a gasp, Lucy caught him, and it took a silent battle of wills carried out in a staring contest for Edmund to convince her to help him stand up again. He did better the second time around, though it was obvious that he was having a significant amount of trouble keeping his stance.

Using Phillip and Lucy as his legs for the most part, Edmund made his way carefully over to the group of men. There were five total, bound together by meager ropes and fear of the carnivores circling them. All were scratched and bruised, though a few sported some deep wounds. Most were scared, or at least had the decency to look scared, but one in particular caught Edmund's eye. He was staring directly at the King, and when the two made eye contact, Edmund nearly collapsed.

"Edmund! Edmund, are you alright? What's wrong?" Lucy pleaded, doing her best to keep him upright.

"It's Mahir..." Edmund whispered his reply, never removing his gaze from the Calormene. And indeed it was.


	5. Strangers

**Author's Note: **This was supposed to have been updated on August 7th. I can't fathom why it didn't. Looks like you followers of this story will get an update and a half today!

**Disclaimer: **I don't even own my own life, how could I possibly own a world-renowned franchise?

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**25. Strangers**

Edmund and Mahir locked eyes. Both of them reacted quite differently and yet somehow with a flair of similarity as they stared at each other. Edmund stiffened and paled, struggling to keep his composure. His hands trembled slightly and he felt the overwhelming urge to look down and ask what was required of him. His eyes burned with a mix of hatred and fear, and he wasn't sure which one to favor.

Mahir, on the other hand, kept his body relaxed and his face caught in a smirk. His eyes narrowed slightly at his former servant and they too held the same emotions as Edmund's, but the fear was a vastly different fear. His fear wasn't born in abuse and pain, as Edmund's was, but in curiosity. How on earth had the boy survived the arrow? Mahir knew enough about the Cordial the Valiant Queen carried with her. What he couldn't understand was how Edmund had survived long enough for her to get it to him. The shot had been nearly perfect, at least grazing the heart if not puncturing it altogether. Though Mahir had heard stories of men surviving for several hours after being shot in the heart, he would have never guessed that a boy could have done it.

"Edmund," Queen Lucy's soft voice broke both slave and slave master out of their reveries. Edmund jumped and slowly turned toward her, loathe to take his eyes off of the man before him. Mahir sat perfectly still and instead turned his smile from the boy to the girl. "Edmund, please come away, come sit down with me. You don't need to be a part of this. Nyle and the others can deal with him well enough. Please just sit."

It was lost on everyone how Edmund resisted the earnest pleas of his little sister, shaking his head and standing firm. Lucy had the famous gift of being able to get her brothers to do just about anything when she asked in the right tone, but apparently there were exceptions to every rule.

"I passed judgment on him once," Edmund answered her, his voice shaking as much as his hands. "I seem to have chosen his punishment poorly. I need to remedy that." A brief image of Nath flittered through Edmund's thoughts. He let out a soft breath through his nose in something akin to a sound of amusement and shook his head slightly.

"Edmund…?" Lucy tilted her head worriedly.

"I'm alright. Just thinking of Nath and how right he was."

"Filthy slave. You turned my best man against me. I should see you ha-" Mahir was cut off by a swipe to the head from Nyle's paw.

"You will _not _address my King. Is that clear?" The Tiger growled deeply, stepping between the man and King. "You will hold your tongue, or you will lose it." Mahir scowled, but made no further attempts to speak.

"Sire, what will you have us do?" Nyle bowed slightly.

"Interrogate them, one at a time, away from each other. It's possible that Mahir blackmailed them into this. I would like to sit in on the interrogations-"

"Edmund..."

"To make it easier for me to pass a proper judgment." Edmund continued on as though he hadn't heard his little sister.

"Yes, Sire," Nyle bowed once again and turned to the soldiers under his charge. "Cynric, I will leave it up to you and Pell to keep the men in line. Lind, Torith, you two will be with me. Edlyn, I want you to guard King Edmund, and Neci, you will be in charge of Queen Lucy."

"Who would you like to interview first?" Cynric walked closer to the bound men, ready to separate one from the group.

"The kit to your right," Nyle glared at the coward who had begged for mercy under the Tiger's paws. He was young and certainly not bred for battle. "I think he will open up the quickest."

Cynric nodded and wove between the men, forcefully separating the teenager from the rest of the group. Lind grabbed him by the front of his shirt and lifted him to his feet, making sure he didn't fall but not doing much else to help him walk. The designated group of soldiers, attacker, and King made their way far down the path, out of earshot but not eyeshot. Once the spot had been chosen, Edmund took a seat on a rock and the young stranger sat on the ground a few feet away. Lind and Torith flanked the Calormene on either side while Nyle stood between the two men and Edlyn stood to Edmund's right.

"What is your name?" Nyle began the interrogation.

"A-A-Ars-salaan…" The boy stammered, his eyes wide with terror and entire body trembling.

"And how old are you, Arsalaan?"

"I…I'm f-fifteen…sir…"

"What are you doing so far from home, boy?"

"M-Mahir…he…asked m-me to come…"

For over forty five minutes the interview went on, slowed by the boy's fear and stutter. Nyle had been correct in judging him, though. He was a well of information and answered every question asked of him. Just as Edmund had feared, the young man had been blackmailed into joining the group. He insisted that he had been working with his mother, dying fabrics for market the next day, when Mahir had barged into the home. At first he and his mother had fought him, but Mahir was strong and quickly overpowered the woman. He held a knife to her throat and demanded that Arsalaan join him. Fearing for his mother's life, the young boy agreed and followed Mahir out of the house. He swore that he had had no idea of the plan until he spotted Edmund riding with his guards. He had been told that they were going to raid travelers, but that none would be hurt. He knew that it had been a ridiculous story, to raid but not harm, and he had only believed it out of foolish hope.

"Arsalaan, if I may ask," Edmund paused for a moment, thinking deeply. "How was it that you knew Mahir? Certainly he didn't just barge in on a random home…"

"N-No…" Arsalaan's voice changed radically in that one word. During the entire questioning he had been terrified and shaky. Now he spoke with a loathing fervor. "He k-killed my father ab-bout seven years ago."

"That was your father? I'm sorry…" Edmund frowned a bit and looked down, remembering all too vividly when Yasir told him that he thought his father had killed someone.

"Y-You knew? Who t-told you?" Now the boy's anger was turned on him. Edmund bit his lip.

"I was a slave of Mahir's once. You hear a lot of things when you work for someone."

"So you're the s-slave who gave him all the t-trouble."

"You've heard about me?" Edmund raised an eyebrow.

"He n-never shuts up ab-bout you."

"I think we've learned all we need, Sire," Nyle stepped in between the two boys, blocking their staring contest. "Do you wish to pass judgment on him now or later?"

"Now. Set him free, he has done nothing wrong that he did out of his own free will. Let Lucy tend to him."

Nyle nodded and walked behind the boy, carefully tearing the bonds around his wrists. Arsalaan drew his shoulders forward uncomfortably, gave a small, grateful smile to Edmund, and stood. He bowed slightly in a rather awkward manner before turning to start heading back.

"Y-You know," He said quietly. "You are n-n-not n-nearly as b-bad as the T-Tisroc, m-may he live f-forev-ver, makes y-you out to b-be. Thank y-you."

Edmund smiled a bit at the boy as he, accompanied by Lind, walked away and sat next to Lucy. Lind explained the situation to the Queen who, true to self, immediately drew closer to Arsalaan, placed a hand on his shoulder, and started whispering words of comfort.

The rest of the interrogations went by just as interestingly as Arsalaan's had. Nyle insisted they interrogate the ones who ran first, hoping to find more men as open as Arsalaan had been. The first man, a middle-aged Calormene named Gohar, had been forced into the business as well, though it had taken far less coaxing than Arsalaan. He said that he and Mahir had been friends when they were young men, but their businesses had led them in different directions, and neither heard from the other for years. Then, quite unexpectedly, he claimed Mahir had shown up at his house and asked for his help. Gohar had at first resisted, insisting he had his business to watch over and it was no fault of his if Mahir's had gone to rot and Mahir needed his help fixing it. But then Mahir had threatened to reveal some rather illegal practices Gohar participated in, and then what choice did he have but to tag along?

Unlike Arsalaan, very little of this information came easy. It took three times as long with much heavier interrogation techniques to get Gohar to talk. When it was all said and done, however, Edmund decided to send him back to Calormen and turn him over to the Tisroc.

The next runner was a strong young man who refused to give a name. He refused to say much of anything, really, save for a "curse upon your crops and citizens" here and a "burn in Hell, barbarian imbecile" there. Quickly growing tired of the antics, Edmund decided to send the Calormene to Narnia where Peter and other trained men could question him to their heart's content.

With the fourth and final runner declared dead and unreachable at the bottom of a cliff, Edmund sent for the elder of the two archers. He was an older man well past middle age. His face was relaxed and his eyes were smiling, but his body was trembling ever so slightly. His jet black hair was laden with thick streaks of gray, and Edmund couldn't help but wonder why Mahir had asked for his help when Calormen was full of stronger, younger men who would have been happy to assist him in murdering one of the barbarian Kings.

Lind helped the old man sit, but before anyone had the chance to open their mouths to ask a question, the Calormene spoke up.

"I had fun." His voice was rickety with old age, and sounded half dreamy.

"What?" Edmund tilted his head and raised his eyebrow.

The man simply smiled knowingly. "One day, when you've become old and no one wants you anymore, you will pray for someone to come and ask for your help, for your skills with the sword," The man glanced at Edmund's weapon tethered to his hip. "And one day they will, and you will not remember a time when you felt more joy than that moment, when you and your most trusted partner are able to fulfill your purpose once again. One day, young King, you will wish you had swung your blade, or fired your arrow, far more often than you did, and you will plead outright for a chance to do it again."

"Duly noted…" Edmund was thoroughly confused, but decided to let the elderly Calormene continue to speak.

"You will understand when the time comes. And when someone asks you to once again draw your sword or knock your bow, you will not care what the purpose is. You will not care what enemy you may fell. You will not care who suffers at your hand, so long as you and yours can do battle once again, as you did during your Glory Days."

"I believe that I will care, sir. I will care very greatly about what harm may be dealt by my hand. I will not allow a life to fall simply so I may feel a rush of adrenaline." The Just King stared at the man sternly, wondering how something as large as a life could be so insignificant to him.

The enemy's nostalgic, happy expression never faltered. "It is more than adrenaline, young man. You cannot understand the ache until you have felt it."

Edmund frowned, but said nothing more on the matter. Instead, Nyle was the one to speak up.

"What is your name, Calormene?"

"My name? Ooh, my name is not important, good Tiger. I have no one to call me by it anymore back home. You may call me He, if you so wish."

"What is your purpose for attacking my King?"

"It matters little that he is your King, Tiger," And still He smiled. "He was simply a reason to once again knock my bow."

"How and why did Mahir recruit you?"

"So official," He tsk'd. "You will feel the ache as I have felt, but not the one for your weapon. You will ache for a lost childhood, my good Tiger. When you can no longer keep the weight, and pain in your bones keeps you from your duties, you will wish with all of your heart to be young again so that you might have a chance to live a different lifestyle, a better lifestyle."

"Stay on the subject, Calormene. How and why did Mahir recruit you?"

"Oh alright, I'm used to no one listening to me. No one ever listens until I'm proved right. Mahir is my nephew. He was the most troublesome of the lot, but he was the only one who listened to me and my silly old stories. I had told him stories, as a child, of my great prowess with a bow, and it is so wonderful to know that he never forgot those stories. I was the first one he approached with this ridiculous plan to take out a Barbarian. I told him it was foolish, impossible, but only once. It was a chance to fire my bow again, and we both understood the significance of that."

"So you would kill…just to be able to fire your bow again?" Edmund looked He over, not understanding his reasoning in the slightest.

"Of course!" He grinned, revealing the few teeth he had left.

"Why wouldn't you just fire at a target?"

"So young, too young to understand. " He's smile turned nostalgic and remorseful, and his eyes grew distant as he lost focus on Edmund sitting in front of him.

"Sire, have you decided upon a sentence?" Edlyn spoke up, keeping her keen eyes locked on the elderly Calormene.

"Conspiracy to kill one of Narnia's kings and attempted murder. He'll stay in our dungeon until the end of his days."

"Ooh, that won't be long now." The Calormene laughed weakly, the chuckles turning into a coughing fit after a moment.

"I know," Edmund frowned when the man began coughing. "Otherwise, I would have given you a more specific sentence. I give you leave. Take him back to the others, and bring me Mahir."


	6. 2532012 UPDATE

****Hey guys, Pariah here. I'm terribly sorry I haven't updated recently. I am currently in my last semester of college working toward getting my Associate's Degree, which is going to be followed with a Bachelor's in English. I am taking two advanced English courses (both of which require an astronomical amount of reading and writing. We have to read Moby Dick in 4 days!), a health class with an ass for a teacher that I've had to go to the dean to talk about because of his potentially-personal attacks on my grade, a creative writing class, and I am now working two jobs. Because of all that has been going on, my free time to write has been reduced to nil. I promise I haven't given up on anything, though! As soon as classes let out come May, I'll get right back on the ball. I just wanted to let you all know that I'm not dead and I am truly sorry for not having updated.

I don't want you all to feel gypped by this little update, though, so here is a sneak preview of the next chapter that I have written so far:

_It hadn't been an exceptionally exciting day for Peter, at least, not at first. He had woken up an hour before dawn to train with Oreius, though it was much lonelier than he was used to. He had grown accustomed to Edmund walking alongside him to the training grounds, griping the entire way about the air being too cold, or the grass being too wet, or his stomach being too empty. It was always something, but that wasn't to say Edmund was at all lazy or bitter when it came to training. Griping had simply been his way of waking up, and it had, ironically, always done wonders in putting Peter into a good mood as well. The frustrated, hardly serious laments of the teenage boy had, every morning, struck a chord in Peter, and more often than not, he would find himself in the throes of an attack of the giggles by the time they reached the training grounds._

_ Not today, though, nor for the past several days. Six days ago, Edmund had set out with Lucy on a trip to Archenland. His sister had been planning on spending a couple of weeks with King Lune and his twin sons while Edmund traveled on to the coast to meet with two dear friends of his who were set to be married. For his siblings, Peter was certain the past six days had been nothing short of splendid. Lucy and Edmund had always enjoyed the two day trip to Archenland far more than the elder two, and days spent with the twins had to be a blast. Not for the staff of Anvard, of course, but for the four children. The thought of the calamities Edmund and Corin had most certainly caused in the three short days Edmund had been around must have been Hell for the kitchen staff, handmaidens, and others. Peter would have given anything to see the two commandeer the place for even a day, but unfortunately, he had had to stay behind and wait his turn to visit the ally castle with Susan in another week's time._

_ His days hadn't been nearly so fun, today least of all. Training had gone well, more or less, if not a bit harder than usual, due to having all of the instructors to himself. Breakfast afterward was satisfying, though a little bland without Edmund's spicy quips to lighten the mood, or Lucy's sugary, low-key reminders that she and Susan were still half asleep and certainly nowhere near awake enough to find his jokes as humorous as he'd like. Court was miserable, as always, and especially so without Edmund's comedic expressions or Lucy's cute little smiles to those who needed the brightness. Susan was there to cheer him up, of course, but only in theory. For the most part, Peter was left to himself while his sister bustled about taking care of her own matters. _

_ It was during one of these lonely moments, an hour or so after dusk, when a beautiful Falcon perched on a branch next to Peter's head. The Bird looked terrified and sorrowful, and a jolt of utter dread washed over Peter like a thick veil falling after the last act of a play. _

_ "Your Majesty," The Falcon started, unable to look Peter in the eye. "It is your brother, Sire. He has been felled on the path to Stormness Head. Queen Lucy rushed to his aid as soon as she heard what had happened, but the situation was dire, and..." The Bird trailed off._

_ "And...? How far was he? Did she make it?" Peter tried not to shout at the Bird, remembering a phrase his brother used to always tell him about shooting messengers and how it was rather frowned upon in most situations._

_ "I'm not completely sure of the details, Sire, but it doesn't look good. The Stag who delivered the message said only that he was shot in the chest and was living on borrowed time."__  
_


End file.
